Ohio State commit weekend recap: 2019 commits continue to shine on the field
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Future Buckeyes looked good in their high school games this weekend.

What a time to be an Ohio State fan. Last night the Buckeyes came away with a huge win over TCU. In a weekend that saw the Big Ten conference struggle, Ohio State’s win was a key victory not only for themselves, but for the conference as a whole.

The reason behind Ohio State’s win—plain and simple—was the talent they had on their roster. The Buckeye coaching staff does a great job at locating talent and then developing said talent. Ohio State’s continued success lays in the hands of their ability to recruit, and when you’re able to do that as successfully as they have, good things will continue to happen.

As Urban Meyer comes back to coach his team without any limitations, recruiting will surely begin to pick back up. With visits set in place for many of their top remaining targets, the staff knows they’ll have to be on top of their game. Fortunately, guys they already have in the fold have been on their game, and that was once again the case this past weekend when multiple 2019 commits proved their abilities on the gridiron.

Record breaking night for Wilson


Garrett Wilson needs no introduction, but it’s worth it honestly. Wilson is the second best receiver in the country for the 2019 class, the second best player in a loaded state of Texas, and the 14th best player in the country regardless of position, according to 247sports’ composite grading. Now that we have some of his accolades out of the way, let’s just add to them.


Once again, his performance for Lake Travis was electric. In a win over dynamic opponent Bowie, Wilson set the school record for career receiving touchdowns. His 45th touchdown reception broke that, but he wasn’t done as he cashed in and hit pay-dirt once again for number 46 in his career. Important note: This is only his third game of his senior season, so it’s very possible this record extends drastically for Garrett—making it harder for future players to pass. As if that wasn’t enough, Wilson also threw for a touchdown on a trick play for Lake Travis.


Wilson’s night ended with five catches for 172 total yards, which equals nearly 34 yards per reception. His first score breaking the receiving TD record was a 25-yarder, followed by an 87-yarder for his second score of the night.

For Buckeye fans, this is exactly what they love to see as they picture the future of the Buckeye offense. Wilson is a can’t-miss type of player, and Ohio State knows they struck gold when they were able to land his pledge. As always, the future is extremely bright in Columbus for Ohio State football.

Stover leads Lexington to rivalry victory


In addition to Wilson having a big night, Cade Stover had one, too. Stover has done nothing but be consistent. Regardless of what side of the ball he is playing on, Cade has the ability to be the best player on the field. In this weekend’s game, Lexington High School took on rival Mount Vernon and came away with a huge 38-0 win. In the game, Cade scored two touchdowns and also helped pitch the shutout for the Lexington defense.


Rushing for 71 yards on 12 carries, Stover rushed for a 29-yard touchdown as he broke three tackles sprinting to the end zone. Stover also caught a 40-yard touchdown pass in the first half. The real impressive aspect to this game, though, is the fact that Cade may have been as impressive without the ball compared to when he had it. Reasoning? Well, to put it real clear, Stover was seeing double-team defense all night. That allowed for his teammates to see openings. Basically, with so much attention placed on the Buckeye commit, the rest of Lexington’s players were able to successfully get lost in the shuffle—resulting in their big win.

Cade can truly do it all on the field. That’s just more good news for the future of Ohio State football.

Quick Hits:

• Ronnie “Rocket” Hickman (Wayne, New Jersey/DePaul Catholic) athlete caught an 85-yard touchdown pass on offense, and forced a fumble on defense. Hickman will most likely start his Buckeye career at safety.
• Sampson James, (Avon, Indiana/Avon) a 6-foot-1, 215-pound bruiser of a power running back, had two touchdowns in a 48-0 win over Franklin Central.
• Craig Young, (Fort Wayne, Indiana/Wayne) a three-star athlete, went off for four touchdowns in a win over Fort Wayne South-Side.

Continue reading...

After big win against TCU, Ohio State stays at No. 4 in the AP Poll
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes maintain a spot in the top-5.

It took awhile, but the Ohio State Buckeyes pulled away from the TCU Horned Frogs Saturday night. With that win in Arlington, Texas, the Buckeyes maintained their spot in the AP Poll Top 5, sticking at No. 4. With the loss, the Horned Frogs slipped to No. 17.


Another team that went tumbling down the polls was Wisconsin. The Badgers lost at home in heartbreaking fashion to unranked BYU. Wiscy had a chance to tie the game at the end, but a missed field goal sailed wide (wide) left sealing the Badgers’ fate in the final minute. Because of that, Wisconsin fell to No. 18.

LSU and the fighting Joe Burrow’s pulled one out against Auburn in the annual Tiger Bowl. The Tigers of Baton Rouge variety entered the week at No. 12. Now, they are in the top 10 at No. 6.

At the top of the poll, things remained unchanged. Alabama is still No. 1, Georgia jumped Clemson to come in at No. 2 with Clemson now at No. 3 after three convincing wins. The Crimson Tide played conference foe Ole Miss, and absolutely sent them to oblivion— winning the game 62-7.

While the Buckeyes still sit at No. 4, they have closed the gap behind No. 3 from 119 points to 48 after the win over TCU.

In the Coaches Poll, the Buckeyes stayed at No. 4, following Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia. Oklahoma rounds out the top-5. The LSU Tigers moved up seven spots to No. 6.

Continue reading...

Sunday Debriefing: Will the real Big Ten please stand up
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Wisconsin shocked at home by BYU, and Nebraska losing to Troy sent the Big Ten West into another week of tailspin.

In the year 2000, the rapper Eminem asked for the real Slim Shady to please stand up.

In Week 3 of the 2018 college football season, I’m asking will the real Big Ten—the one that had multiple teams in the preseason rankings listed as College Football Playoff contenders—to please, please stand up. It’s now or never.

Once again, the Big Ten— other than Ohio State— made a fool of itself on the national stage. The No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers, seen as the Big Ten West’s savior, stumbled at home to unranked BYU. Even though the defeat was only by three points (24-21), the loss packs a one-two punch. Not only do the Badgers’ playoff hopes now hang off the side of the proverbial cliff, but this recent high-profile loss gives off the mental image of the Big Ten slipping on a banana peel— and into the air— before crashing back down to the ground as a laugh track plays.

This reoccuring image has now happened every week of the young season.

Penn State nearly lost in to Appalachian State in Week 1, then Michigan State was the one to fall last week; now it was Wisconsin. However, one team took the cake and fell both weeks. That’s right, we’re talking about the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The Scott Frost era is off to about as bad of a start as you could image. First, their season opener against Akron got delayed, then cancelled. Last week, they lost to Colorado, 33-28, in thrilling fashion. Then this week against Troy, they found another way to lose in thrilling fashion. One cancelled game and two losses— and it’s only the middle of September.

It appears that Iowa may be the survivor of the Big Ten’s West wild ride, but who knows? Purdue, who is now 0-3, can very well win the division; as could Northwestern, who defeated Purdue already this season before getting steamrolled by two touchdowns by Duke last week, and then lost by five to Akron.

The only two teams that are excused from the brunt of the lashing are Ohio State and Penn State. But, that isn’t too say that they are 100 percent excused. Ohio State pulled away from TCU in a nationally televised game on Saturday night, thanks to a third quarter surge that included the Horned Frogs melting under pressure. TCU’s sophomore quarterback Shawn Robinson shuffled a pitch right into the hands of defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones, who ran the ball back for a score.

Then a bobbled punt— that only netted about two yards after being partially blocked— gave OSU fantastic field position. Dwayne Haskins made great use of the advantage, and connected on a TD not too long after Ohio State got the ball back. Without the surge or early sack/fumble caused by Nick Bosa, the Buckeyes might have lost that game. But, a win is a win, even if it isn’t pretty, especially against a top-15 team like TCU. So, the Buckeyes are still on solid ground.


Penn State has progressively gotten better as the season as gone on. After nearly falling to Appalachian State in Week 1, the Nittany Lions scored big wins over Pittsburgh and Kent State. Woo-hoo.

The Sept. 29 showdown between Ohio State and Penn State at Beaver Stadium will, more than likely, be the the game of the week. Arguably, this game will be for the Big Ten title before the first month of the season is over.

Michigan State is still off trying to figure out who they really are after getting upset in a #Pac12AfterDark affair with Arizona State last week. It should be noted that early Sunday morning, in another week of after dark play, the Sun Devils got beat by San Diego State.

It’s too hard to judge Michigan because they haven’t played any real teams after losing to Notre Dame, and Notre Dame looks about as sketchy as you can get for a team in the top-10. Maryland got wallopped by Temple, and Rutgers is, well, Rutgers. That only leaves OSU and PSU as contenders in the East, and they are set for a collision course before October even arrives.

For the conference, it’s not been a good month. With Sparty, the Wolverines, and the Badgers already putting their playoff chances on life support— if not in the ground completely— the Big Ten will have a lot more spoilers than contenders. That’s a dangerous inequality to have, as a single upset from here on out could doom the entire conference’s chance at getting into the playoff for the second straight year.

Wisconsin rolls into a game with division foe Iowa on Saturday. The Badgers will have to make the trip to Kinnick, but if they pull off the win, then the turmoil sets even more within the West. Literally, Minnesota would be the only undefeated team on that side of the table, and that’s assuming that they can handle Maryland in College Park, Md., next week.

Before the season, there was a tangible belief that Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Michigan could get out of the non-conference slate as unbeaten teams, and all contend for a playoff berth. Of those teams, Ohio State had arguably the toughest non-conference game with TCU. Sure, Michigan had Notre Dame, but they had the whole offseason to get ready for it, and the Irish haven’t looked great yet.

Barring an upset next week against Tulane, the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions will be the only teams from the East to get out of the non-conference slate in one piece. Yes, it’s a good thing that they are still intact, but they leave scathed, even just by conference association.

Right now, Ohio State, Penn State, Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota are the only teams that are able to stand up as unbeaten teams in the Big Ten.

I don’t know how I feel about that.

Continue reading...

Dwayne Haskins, Dre’Mont Jones named LGHL Week 2 MVPs
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Dwayne and Dre’Mont stepped up when their team needed them most.

You all good? I personally am still trying to recover from last night’s incredible, comeback win for the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes over the No. 15 TCU Horned Frogs. It wasn’t always pretty, but in the second half, both the Buckeye offense and defense stepped up to deliver a thrilling 40-28 victory.


The Frogs showed why they are a top-15 team, and a legitimate contender to win the Big XII. Gary Patterson’s squad kept the tempo up at a lightning’s pace, with quarterback Shawn Robinson getting plays off almost before the previous one was over, and the defense, led by defensive end Ben Banogu, was bringing the house from the first possession to the last.

However, in the end, the Buckeyes had just too many studs to be denied. So, without further ado, here our Land-Grant Hold Land’s Week 3 MVPs.

Week 3 Offensive MVP: Dwayne Haskins


Unsurprisingly, the new OSU quarterback’s day was not as smooth-sailing as the first two starts of his career were. For the first time this season, Haskins had to deal with pressure, and in the first half, at times it appeared that the normally calm signal-caller was rattled.

However, after Haskins adjusted to the speed of TCU’s defense, he returned to the incredible form that we’ve seen throughout the year thus far.

On the game, Haskins was 24-for-38 for 344 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He got the big plays started with a 48-yard pass to Austin Mack on the first series. On the throw, Haskins was able to drop the ball perfectly into the waiting hands of his wide receiver, despite being otherwise blanketed by two defenders.

As pretty as this pass was, it was the only catch that Mack would have for a while, as he followed it up with five consecutive drops, in many cases bringing drives to a screeching halt. Had the normally solid Mack pulled those very catchable balls, the night would have been even more impressive for Haskins. Mack finished with four catches for 84 yards on nine targets.


In addition to the delicate touch that Haskins was able to put on the deep ball, he also showed his cannon of an arm, especially on this frozen rope to Johnnie Dixon, placing it in the perfect spot that only his receiver could catch it. Haskins finished the game with a quarterback rating of 156.6.


And finally for Haskins, despite ABC’s play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler saying that he wasn’t a threat to run, in the fourth quarter, Haskins kept the ball and sprinted to the end zone on his first designed rush of the season—and the first rushing touchdown of his career.

Week 3 Defensive MVP: Dre’Mont Jones


First, I don’t want to be crude, but Nick Bosa did not sustain an injury to his “lower abdomen,” nor was it to his “upper leg.” He pointed to where he was hurting on national television. We all know that he hurt is groin; groin is not an inappropriate or tawdry term. So why did everyone from announcers to coaches feel the need to dance around the obvious? I mean, I can think of a lot worse words than groin that we could have used.

Anyway, not that Dre’Mont Jones needed the deck cleared for him to make an impact on the game, but with Bosa out in the second half, it sure seemed like Jones took it upon himself to completely dominate—and in turn, change the outcome of— the game.

First, Jones picked off the Shawn Robinson shuffle pass and returned it for the first touchdown of his collegiate career, putting the Buckeyes up for good.


As fun as the Piesman Trophy-caliber return was, Jones is not one of the best defensive linemen in the country because of his ability to score; he is one of the best defensive linemen in the country because of his ability to get to the quarterback. Against TCU, Jones had six tackles, two for loss, including this sack below, the aforementioned interception, and another pass broken up.

Dre’Mont Jones dominated the final 30 minutes of this game, and ultimately was a huge factor in the Buckeyes leaving Texas undefeated.

Honorable Mention:

K.J. Hill:


Receiving: six receptions on six targets, 95 yards, TD, zero drops

J.K. Dobbins:


18 rushes, 121 yards, eight carries of 10-yards or more yards


Continue reading...

No. 4 Ohio State takes down No. 15 TCU, 40-28
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

It wasn’t the best day for the Big Ten in Week 3, but the conference’s top team, No. 4 Ohio State, recorded one of the most impressive wins of the week. The Buckeyes rallied past No. 15 TCU, 40-28, behind 20 points in a four-minute outburst out of the halftime locker room at AT&T Stadium. No. 4 Ohio State Downs No. 15 TCU

Continue reading...

Please share.

No nudes.

5 things learned from Ohio State’s close call with the Horned Frogs
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes won by 12, but trailed by 8 in the third quarter.

The box score shows that the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the No. 15 TCU Horned Frogs by 12 points. That’s a nice margin of victory. However, the box score— and numbers—have a tendency to not tell the whole truth.

With eight minutes left in the third quarter, it appeared that the Buckeyes were deep in upset territory, as they trailed these purple and black horned frogs from Fort Worth by 8 points. Then, the rally happened.

Ohio State’s defense kept them in the game, even after putting them in upset’s way to begin with. But, a win is a win, and it’s onto another oddly name mascot next week in the Green Wave. Before we focus on the late afternoon matchup with Tulane, let’s take a look at what we learned in OSU’s close shave in Arlington, Texas.

The defense is Dr. Jekyll


When the OSU defensive line gets going, my condolences to whatever offense comes up against them. Between Nick Bosa, Dre’Mont Jones and Chase Young, the frontline is a force to be reckoned with.

TCU quarterback Shawn Robinson learned that lesson the hard way on Saturday night. Early in the first quarter, Bosa fought his way past the Horned Frogs’ offensive line, and hit Robinson, who had his back to him. Making matters worse for the signal-caller was that he fumbled the ball as he was preparing to make a throw; making matters worse still, he was on his own goal line. That sack and strip led to a recovery in the end zone by Davon Hamilton, and six points for the Buckeyes.


In the third quarter, Robinson met the wrath of the defense again. He didn’t fumble on this occasion; rather, he threw an interception on a shuffle pass. Dre’Mont Jones read the play, and got in front of Robinson’s intended target, and snatched the ball right out of the air.

However, just like the Bosa forced fumble, this turnover would end in a defensive TD. Jones showed his athleticism down the sidelines, as he juked out Robinson en route to the end zone.

As the game was in its twilight stages, Malik Harrison got in on the turnover game, recording the Bucks’ second interception—and third takeaway—of the night.

For the third time this season, the OSU defensive line showed that they are the real deal. Larry Johnson has, once again, proven that he is one of the best (if not the best) defensive line coach in America. In the first marquee game of the season, the d-line sparked the team’s momentum in the third quarter. Without it, the outcome of this game would’ve been completely different. If they keep up this level of play, I don’t see how an opposing offense can win a game without stretching the field against OSU.

The defense is Mr. Hyde


Outside of line play, the OSU defense is, uh, uninspiring. The facade showed signs of cracking against Oregon State, where big rushes and receptions led to the Beavers putting up 31 points against the Buckeyes.

Against Rutgers, order looked to be restored, as the passing and rushing games were stifled. If the defensive secondary and linebacking units were stocks, I would’ve bought into them. But if I had, I would’ve faced a pretty big loss this week.

TCU showed that there is still some serious work to be done by the back half of the defense. Head coach Gary Patterson’s game plan of up-tempo plays, and stretching the field had success all throughout the night. TCU had seven chunk passing plays and four chunk rushing plays. Three of those chunk plays went for touchdowns, which includes the 93-yard rush from Darius Anderson. Not only was that rush from Anderson the longest in TCU history, but it was the longest offensive play given up by Ohio State in the school’s 129 years of collegiate football.

Robinson threw for 308 yards, and Anderson led all rushers on the field with 154 yards. Both were responsible for two TDs each.

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Sophomore Surprise: TCU’s Shawn Robinson carved the Buckeye defense for 308 yards in the air.

If it weren’t the plays from Bosa and Jones on defense, OSU likely loses this game. Those turnovers put 14 points on the board for the Buckeyes during a stretch were the OSU offense was stagnant. In fact, that Jones pick-six changed the whole dynamic of the game, as the Bucks took the lead for good after his score.

You can’t rely on Bosa and Jones to engineer points in every game. There’s going to be a game where the defensive line doesn’t play its sharpest game. It happens. Last year, it was Iowa; the year before that, it was Clemson in the College Football Playoff.

When that game happens, how will the rest of the defense respond? Bosa missed part of the TCU game with an apparent groin injury. What would’ve happened if that injury happened early in the game before the forced fumble? Would OSU have had the ability to overcome the loss of Bosa’s presence on the field, and figure out how to win without him anchoring the D-line? My guess is that they wouldn’t have.

Our own Patrick Mayhorn pointed to Bill Davis as the cause of some of the defensive problems for Ohio State. At this point, it doesn’t matter who's to blame. If these problems don’t get solved soon, the Buckeyes may be walking out of Happy Valley in two weeks with a loss.

You can’t stop the Dwayne Train...


We are now three games into the Dwayne Haskins era at Ohio State. And already, he’s doing some pretty insane stuff. Against TCU, the Dwayne Train rolled through Arlington, Texas and collected 344 yards and a pair of scores. Those 344 yards in the air were the seventh most ever in an OSU game. This outing had two more yards than Troy Smith’s 2005 Fiesta Bowl performance against Notre Dame, and was five yards less than J.T. Barrett’s 2016 performance versus Bowling Green.


If this is what we’ve seen so far, then the ceiling for Haskins is exceptionally high. Will he pass Art Schlichter’s 458-yard effort against Florida State in 1981? Dunno. But, if he keeps launching 300-yard plus performances each week, then he may not only get close to capturing more top-10 spots in the single game OSU record books, but he may eclipse season passing marks. If he gets to that point, then the Dwayne Train may be stopping by New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation.

...except for low snaps and dropped passes


Let’s play the “What If” game. What if Austin Mack would’ve hauled in three of the five passes that he dropped, and picked up 35 more receiving yards. That would’ve given Haskins 379 passing yards for the night—and would’ve put him into the No. 2 spot behind Schlichter for the most passing yards in a single game.

Mack had enough dropped passes that they seemed to be more regular than irregular. After the 48-yard diving pass reception on the first series of the night, the drop bug sought out Mack. Personally, I think Mack may have suffered a shoulder stinger or something of the like, because these drops were uncharacteristic of anybody in the wide receiver corps, especially him.

For the evening, Mack had four receptions on nine targets. In comparison, Binjimen Victor had zero receptions on one target. The WR portion of the offense is still a work in progress, but figuring out who should be on the field— and who should be targeted— is a priority. If a receiver is on a hot streak, keep feeding him the ball; if a receiver is having an off night, swap him out for a while and use him sparingly. Bad nights happen, but constantly keeping a struggling wideout in the game, especially on critical downs, could eventually lead to OSU getting in its own way and causing a loss.

The receivers weren’t the only problems though. Weak, low snaps from center Michael Jordan also prevented Haskins from getting the most from his day. I get that Michael Jordan is moving into the center spot for the first time in his life, and that he still has work to do, but against TCU, there were glaring signs that there is still a ton of work left to be done.

On the failed two-point conversion attempt, a low snap caused Haskins to scramble and make a throw while trying to evade the pass rush. That throw went high and away from Rashod Berry, leading to him getting flipped into the air a la David Boston.

Presumably, Jordan will get better with more reps. Whenever you move around positions, there will be growing pains. What we are seeing now is exactly that. Even Billy Price took to Twitter to defend his replacement.


Price is a Rimington Award winner, so he knows what this coaching staff can do. Penn State will be the next litmus test for how Jordan performs on a big stage. Unlike this game, the crowd will be very much in Penn State’s favor, so crowd noise will become a factor. But, I think the snaps will get more controlled.

Ryan Day can hold his own as a head coach


Well, the Ryan Day Experience as OSU head coach is over. Urban Meyer has served his suspension time, and will be back on the sidelines next Saturday as Ohio State takes on Tulane.

In these three games, we’ve seen Day react well to all of the situations thrown at him. The TCU game was a final exam for Day— and he passed. Gary Patterson is one of the most experienced and creative minds in college football, and Day was able to eek out the win against him in the Lone Star State.

Day would be an excellent candidate for the OSU job after Meyer is done. But will he wait around until that time comes? If a place like USC wants immediate success and wants to win tomorrow, they may see what it takes to get Day. Any place that is a haven for pocket passers would be lucky to have Day running the operation. If Day can develop Haskins to this level, then recruits would be flocking to wherever Day is at.

Hopefully that will be Ohio State either as a head or assistant coach, but we will have to wait to see what the future holds.

Continue reading...

Stock Market Report: Buying Dre’Mont Jones, K.J. Hill, selling Bill Davis back to the NFL
Patrick Mayhorn via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Get the ball to the most reliable playmakers, and quit it with the gimmick plays.

Well, that was fun, yeah? Ohio State, with Ryan Day as the acting head coach for the final game before Urban Meyer returns, took care of business in Arlington, Texas against TCU, 40-28. It wasn’t a pretty game, and when the Buckeyes were trailing 21-13 in the third quarter, there were certainly plenty of concerns.

However, a Parris Campbell touchdown, a Dre’Mont Jones Piesman worthy pick-six, and a K.J. Hill touchdown later, and Ohio State had a 12-point lead. The Buckeyes never looked back after the electric third quarter, striking once more in the fourth and shutting TCU’s offense down to lock up their first top-25 win of the season.

As with any win of this magnitude, and in a game that was that close for a large portion of the 60 minutes, there are plenty of things to take away, and that means there are plenty of things for us to buy and sell in this week’s Stock Market Report.

Blue-Chip stocks


Dre’Mont Jones, DT: I think Dre’Mont Jones was the most important player of this game for Ohio State. Six tackles, two of which were for a loss, a sack, two passes batted, and of course, the biggest play of the game, his spectacular shovel pass pick-six that gave Ohio State a lead that they wouldn’t look back from.

Jones was completely unblockable all night long, and in a game where much of the talk was focused on Nick Bosa’s uh, groin, the star of the line, and the team as a whole, was Jones. He’s been excellent all season, but this just furthers the theory that Dre’Mont Jones may be the best player on this entire Buckeye line.

K.J. Hill, WR: Looking for the best receiver on the roster? Look no further than Arkansas native K.J. Hill. Often forgotten over the past few years, Hill has been a model of consistency, catching everything thrown at him, and picking up yards exactly when Ohio State needs them most.

He was clutch on several third down catches, and if it wasn’t for his sure hands, there may have been a very different result here. Hill finished with six receptions, 95 yards, and a touchdown.

Dwayne Haskins, QB: I’ve joked about it in the past, but honestly, Dwayne Haskins may make this column every single week this year. While his stats this week weren’t as gaudy as they were in the first two games of the year, Haskins was still a star in this game. And, if Dre’Mont isn’t the reason for Ohio State’s momentum shift in the third quarter, Dwayne is.

He stayed calm even when the Buckeyes were trailing 21-13, delivering a strike to Parris Campbell, and Parris did the rest, picking up 63 yards and finding the endzone to cut the deficit to two.

Facing heavy pressure all night, Dwayne stood tall in the pocket, and delivered passes right where they needed to be on his way to a 344-yard, two-score performance.

Solid investments


Jonathan Cooper, DE: Jonathan Cooper, filling in for Nick Bosa after he went down for the game with an “abdominal injury”, looked exactly how you’d want a former five-star defensive end to look. There was very little— to no— drop-off between the two players, as Cooper played for basically the entire second half, and did an excellent job in all facets of the game.

He helped stuff the run, he set a great edge when TCU tried to run outside, and even picked up a big sack. Obviously a long term injury for Bosa would be bad news for Ohio State, as any injury to a player of his caliber would be. However, Ohio Sate is in good hands with Cooper, and he proved that on the biggest stage tonight.

J.K. Dobbins, RB: There was a general feeling this week against TCU’s aggressive defense that J.K. Dobbins could be in for a big game, and that was proven correct all game last night. Dobbins was able to dodge over-pursuing defenders throughout the game, and came up huge in the second half.

His quick feet and elusive escapability made him the perfect fit for this game-plan, and it was really shocking to see so many handoffs going to Mike Weber rather than Dobbins, especially late in the game. Weber is a great running back, Dobbins is a great running back, but in this game, Dobbins was the great running back. Ohio State should have stuck with the hot hand.

The cornerbacks: A lot can be said about Ohio State’s defensive backfield through three games, but I think after this game, it’s safe to say that the issues are not at cornerback, but rather at safety. The four main corners, Damon Arnette, Kendall Sheffield, Jeffrey Okudah and Shaun Wade (Shaun Wade hive stand up!) all looked very solid.

Against a great receiving group, they only allowed a couple of big plays, and were able to keep TCU’s passing game, specifically the down field passing game, contained very well. Arnette was beaten a couple of times, as were Wade and Sheffield, but the only truly big pass of the game, a 51-yard touchdown to TreVontae Hights, was the fault of safety Jahsen Wint, not a cornerback. Maybe one of these guys (Wade or Okudah) should be given a shot at that open safety slot next to Jordan Fuller.

Junk bonds


Gimmick play calls: They mostly stopped after the first half ended, but in the first 30 minutes, Ohio State had several very questionable play-calls. The two that stand out the most roughly an hour after the game ended are the failed attempt at running the wildcat with Parris Campbell on 3rd & 1 that resulted in a false start, and the six-yard loss on a jet sweep, end-around to Campbell.

There’s no reason for Ohio State to be calling plays like this. Ohio State was bigger and stronger than TCU, and they needed to be playing like it. That means running the ball up the middle or off tackle, and throwing the ball down the field. If TCU is bringing pressure, throw a bubble screen or a slant. But there’s no reason for Ohio State to be calling trick plays against a team like TCU. Stick to what works. The offense needs to stop getting too cute, before it really comes back to bite them.

Buy/Sell


Sell: Bill Davis. Bill Davis is a bad football coach, and being friends with Urban Meyer should not save his job. The linebackers have gotten significantly worse since he was hired, and there’s no reason for him to be on the staff next week, let alone next season.

Buy: Ohio State is the only playoff contender in the Big Ten. It was a really, really bad day for the Big Ten. Pretty much every Big Ten West team managed to lose to a G5 team; the most important of which was probably Wisconsin falling to BYU. While the East still has strong teams like Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State, Ohio State is on a different level. There’s no excuse for Ohio State not running the table in the conference this year.

Sell: Michael Jordan’s snaps. I think Michael Jordan is an excellent guard, and probably the most talented lineman on Ohio State’s team. I also think that moving him to center, for the first time in his career, two weeks before the season was a bad idea. His snaps were low and slow all night long, and there’s no reason a program like Ohio State should be struggling with something like that. Move Mike back to his natural position, and find a true center to take over in the middle.

Continue reading...

Buckeyes and Their Second Half Heroics
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

The Ohio State Buckeyes game planned as they travel to the heart of Texas to Cowboys Stadium to face what was and is their toughest opponent to date in TCU and man, it did not disappoint! In the last game of Coach Meyer’s suspension, Coach Day was tasked with this tall task in what will be his final and most memorable game before Meyer’s return and it certainly had my heart stopped a early on before the team started to show their playmaking ability. The Buckeyes were very much tested and although they made it through, they need to fix a few things and there are a few areas of concern for this team moving forward.

The dynamic and potent offense that Ohio State possesses, the offense took a while to function correctly despite the 40-28 score. Firstly, the lack of consistency with Michael Jordan and the Center position. There were many times during the game, where Jordan snapped the ball too low which disrupted the rhythm at least momentarily. Additionally, the 7 to 11 connection being open? Yes, it was open and Haskins got the ball out and to Mack, but he could not reel in the ball and he accounted for 4 drops, which boggles my mind and is uncharacteristic of him. He made up for it in the second half, but if he grabbed that near TD pass in the end zone, it would’ve been the difference, but a win is a win–especially against a good TCU team!

This game showcased two teams that want to be in contention for a CFB Playoff berth and it was gut-wrenching and hard to watch at first after sputtering on offense early and remaining stagnant to where the offense only managed three FG attempts with one barely missing. The defense scored on what should have been a safety, but all together the refs managed to let them play with minimal penalties for either team. Both offenses managed to make the big play with Anderson’s 93-yard sprint to the end zone, which is their longest play from scrimmage and the longest play surrendered by a Buckeye team. There was also that bomb that resulted in another 50+ yard TD against Wint, who was not sure where the ball was before getting dragged into the end zone.

On the flip side, the Haskins and the Buckeye offense would not be held back and they responded in the second half with two big plays to put them up for good in the game. A screen pass to Campbell and a bomb to Hill made up for the slow start to the game. and Haskins even earned a rushing TD to pull away. The defense after Bosa strained his abdomen or groin area also chipped in with big-time plays that swung the momentum in their favor. Dre’Mont Jones intercepted a shovel pass and housed it, while late in the game Harrison picked off Robinson to seal the game for the Buckeyes.

It was a stiff test in what was essentially a home game for the Horned Frogs, but a few of the hometown kids showed up. Specifically J.K. Dobbins ran roughshod and ran with power and anger as he racked up 121 yards on 18 carries, while his stablemate Weber grinded out 64 yards with the same amount of carries. Next week, the Buckeyes will try to re-establish everything under Coach Meyer, who returns against Tulane after his suspension. They will need to fix a few things and rest the players who were injured for Happy Valley in two weeks. Go Bucks!






Continue reading...

Column: Ohio State has a Bill Davis problem
Patrick Mayhorn via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Poor hires have hampered Ohio State football for the entire Urban Meyer era

There’s a problem in Ohio State football’s football program that we need to talk about. It’s been an issue for the entire Urban Meyer era, and somehow, to this point, the head coach has faced very little complaining about it. Urban Meyer stinks at hiring coaches, and his bad hires have actively made Ohio State worse every year since 2012.

Admittedly, Meyer has also made some home run hires as well, including Larry Johnson, Greg Schiano, Kerry Coombs, Chris Ash, Tom Herman, and more recently Ryan Day and Alex Grinch.

The first real instance of this was former co-defensive coordinator Everett Withers, who was eventually encouraged to take a job elsewhere after putting together one of the worst secondaries that Ohio State had ever seen in both 2012 and 2013. After him, Ohio State had issues with Tim Beck and Ed Warriner, and those issues more likely than not kept the most talented team in school history out of the playoff in 2015.

More recently, offensive line coach Greg Studrawa has deservedly picked up some heat, both for his bungled recruitments of top in-state linemen, as well as some poor on the field play. That poor play includes the struggles in tonight’s win against TCU, in which the offensive line struggled greatly against the blitz, and formerly awesome guard, Michael Jordan, who for some reason was turned into a center, failed to consistently snap the ball accurately.

The ultimate in bad hires that hurt the Buckeyes is obviously Zach Smith, the worst living receivers coach, and a deeply bad person (that’s a different story entirely though). Ohio State’s receiver play was awful for years, and yet Urban Meyer stuck by his coach, for no reason outside of his relationship with Zach’s grandfather, Earle Bruce. To follow that train wreck with a 31 year old Brian Hartline that has absolutely no coaching experience seems like a bad idea too, though we can’t say that for sure yet. The Smith debacle obviously didn’t give them much time for a coaching search.

The biggest issue this season is none of those hires, however. In that long list of awful hires, the worst was not named. The worst hire of Urban Meyer’s tenure at Ohio State, and possibly in his whole career, is the current acting linebackers coach, Bill Davis. To replace Luke Fickell, one of the best linebacker coaches in the country (at the time), Urban Meyer hired an NFL burnout that failed in Philadelphia, an NFL burnout that even the Browns (!!!!!) didn’t want.

Why? Well because Bill Davis is one of Urban’s best friends, and has been for decades. He was the best man at Urban’s wedding. Urban Meyer, one of the best coaches in the country, at probably the second best football program in the country, hired one of his ten position coaches not because of performance, or recruiting (which Davis had never done at this level), but because they’re friends.

For a coach that makes more than seven million dollars a year, a decision that poor and shallow is completely unacceptable, and borderline neglectful of his duties as the head coach of this program. Urban Meyer’s job is not to hire close friends for him to hang out with. Urban Meyer’s job is to hire elite position coaches and coordinators, to put Ohio State in the best possible position to win. It was obvious today, and it’s been obvious since he was hired that Bill Davis is not that guy.

Since losing Fickell, Ohio State’s linebackers have taken massive steps back. They struggled greatly in both losses last season, and they struggled tonight (in a winning effort) against TCU. They play slow, they don’t read the play quickly enough, and they take some of the worst pursuit angles I’ve ever seen in major college football. We know that this group has talent. We know that these former five-stars and four-stars didn’t just forget how to play football.

That means that there’s an issue with coaching, and the coach responsible is Bill Davis. Urban Meyer is once again the full-time head coach at Ohio State. His first task is a big one. He needs to fire Bill Davis, before Ohio State wastes yet another supremely talented team with poor coaching.

Continue reading...

Ohio State rallies past TCU, wins 40-28
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Buckeyes battle back in hard fought marquee matchup.

ESPN’s “College GameDay” made the right choice coming to the Ohio State Buckeyes-TCU Horned Frogs matchup this week. Back-and-forth action in the first half showcased the Buckeye defensive line’s strength, as well as Dwayne Haskins’ passing ability in big games. In the second half, though, Ohio State overcame their one-point halftime deficit, and defeated the No. 15 Horned Frogs, 40-28.

The Buckeye defense was the difference maker. Nick Bosa forced a fumble, which was picked up in the TCU endzone for a touchdown by Davon Hamilton. Dre’Mont Jones also got in on the turnover party. He intercepted a Shawn Robinson shuffle pass, and ran it back for a 28-yard score. In the waning minutes of the game, Malik Harrison snagged a Robinson pass—sealing the game. On the sacking side, Bosa, Jones and Jonathon Cooper tallied one apiece.

Quarterback Dwayne Haskins kept up his passing momentum for the third-straight game. His numbers began to really shine in the third quarter during the Bucks’ comeback, as he made two TD scoring strikes. One went to Parris Campbell on a screen pass, which was taken to the house from 63 yards out. Not long after that, Haskins put up a floater to K.J. Hill, he hauled in the the pass falling down for a 24-yard TD. For the game, Haskins completed 24-of-38 passes for 344 yards.

In a homecoming of sorts, running back J.K. Dobbins crossed the 100-yard mark. He ended the game with 18 carries and 121 yards, averaging 6.7 yards per attempt. Mike Weber had 17 carries for 64 yards, and crossed a milestone in the process: the 2,000 yard rushing career club.

Receiving was challenging at times for OSU. Austin Mack caught four passes for 84 yards, but managed to make a large handful of drops—he was targeted nine times in total. Hill caught six passes for 95 yards, and Campbell had two catches for 66 yards.

TCU was giving the Buckeyes all they could handle early. A 93-yard TD rush by Darius Anderson set a school-record for longest rush, and was the longest offensive play the Buckeye defense gave up in school history. Anderson led all rushers on the field with two scores and 154 yards. In the air, Robinson threw for over 308 yards on 24-of-40 passing. But, TCU miscues led to scoring chances for the Buckeyes

On the first drive of the game, things looked promising for Ohio State. TCU sent the opening kickoff out of bounds, giving the Buckeyes a starting point at their own 35. After Dobbins got stuffed for a 1-yard loss, Haskins went to work. He hit Austin Mack over the middle for 16, then went back to Mack on a deep ball. Mack, who was caught in between two defenders, found enough space to sprawl out and catch the ball at the TCU 2. However, three plays later, the Buckeyes stalled. Sean Nuernberger came in for a 20-yard field goal, and had no problem splitting the uprights... this time.

Just 1:40 was pulled off the clock, as TCU took to the field for their first drive of the night. The Horned Frogs wasted no time moving down the field in the hurry-up offense; they started on their own 17, and within eight plays—all for positive yardage—they got down to the OSU 7. On the ninth play, running back Darius Anderson beat the defense on the nearside for a touchdown. But hold the phone: there was a holding call. TCU got pushed back to the 14, and proceeded to be stopped on the next three plays. Like OSU, the Frogs called out the FG unit; unlike OSU, they missed the kick. Cole Bunce sent the 31-yard kick wide right.

As the Buckeye offense went back to look for more points, they faced a more ferocious defense the second time around. After Haskins found K.J. Hill for a 20-yard connection, TCU clamped down and caused OSU to punt three plays later. Drue Chrisman sent the ball 41 yards to the TCU 7, and that proved to be a little too close for TCU. On the second play of the Horned Frogs’ drive, they ran into a bear of a problem.

Nick Bosa got around the end, and hit Robinson as he was preparing to wind up a pass. The ball tumbled to the back of the endzone before being corralled by the Bucks’ Davon Hamilton for a touchdown. The hurry-up offense works well until it doesn’t. That brought out the jokes on Twitter.


Desperate for points, TCU needed to make the next drive work—or face the game getting out of hand by the end of the first. Fortunately for them, a couple of OSU penalties proved costly, leading to a TCU touchdown.

A pass interference call on Damon Arnette on third-and-7 gave TCU a fresh chance at a TD on the OSU 9. Three plays later, Sewo Olonilua literally dove across the plain of the endzone around two Buckeye defenders for a score. TCU got their TD, and that would be all the scoring we’d see in the first quarter, as OSU maintained a 10-7 advantage.

We’d have to wait six minutes into the second quarter for the next score. Bad news for Buckeye fans: the score wasn’t one for the good guys. Backed up on their own 7, Robinson handed the ball off to Anderson, and he went right up the middle for a school-record 93 yards. His touchdown gave the Horned Frogs their first lead of the night at 14-10.

The rush proved to be the longest offensive play that Ohio State has given up... ever.

Ohio State came back out on offense looking to respond, as they moved the ball down the field thanks to Dobbins. The rebuttal drive featured three carries from the La Grange, Texas native that went for more than 10 yards. But, as soon as the Bucks got to the redzone, TCU dug their collective feet into the ground and held. Nuernberger was summoned for a field goal, and barely squeaked it in through the near post, cutting the deficit to one, 14-13.

Frenetic play on both sides of the ball would continue throughout the quarter, but leading to no other scores. The Buckeyes had a chance, though, at the end of the half to take the lead. However, Nuernberger didn’t get enough rotation on his kick, and it hooked just left of the upright. Halftime brought us a Horned Frog lead (still at 14-13) against the No. 4 team in the land. Below are some of the first half stats.



TCU got the ball to begin the second half, but couldn’t get to midfield. However, during the drive, Nick Bosa left the game with an apparent groin injury; not long after Bosa walked off the field, Kendall Sheffield was assisted off the field, too, with an apparent injury.

Things got worse for OSU over the next couple drives. After committing a three-and-out, Chrisman only got a 34-yard punt—placing TCU’s possession on their own 48. Anderson gashed the Bucks for eight, and then Robinson picked up 28 in the air with a completion to Jarrison Stewart. The next play went back to Anderson, who danced around to the far side of the field before diving at the pylon. After a review, it was determined that he scored a TD; after the extra point, TCU held an eye-opening 21-13 lead.

But, Ohio State would roar back with a big play of their own. With seven minutes left in the third frame, Haskins made his first TD completion on the night, courtesy of a screen pass to Parris Campbell. Campbell hauled in the pass, then cut upfield down the near sideline, gobbling 63 yards of turf for the score. However, a low snap on the two-point conversion attempt led to a rushed (and incomplete) pass to Rashod Berry. The Buckeyes now only trailed 21-19.

However, just three plays later, the Buckeyes would have a five-point lead. Back on offense, TCU’s Robinson tried to shuffle the ball to a WR in front of him, however, Dre’Mont Jones snatched the ball, and ran in back for a big man touchdown. It would be the defense’s second score of the night, but this one put the Buckeyes back on top.

With OSU now up 26-21, TCU was back on the offensive for points. They nearly had it on the ensuing kickoff. A trick play, one where a kick returner laid down in the end zone to hide from the gunners, then the returner threw the ball across the field. The pass was completed, and taken to the house. But hold the phone. A forward pass was called, negating the score.

The bad break bugaboo was still lurking against TCU, as their punt on this drive was mishandled and went a whopping two yards after being deflected. Ohio State wouldn’t be on offense too long, as Haskins launched a floater to Hill in the endzone. He hauled in the catch, propelling the Buckeyes to a 20-point scoring spree in a matter of minutes.

At the end of three, OSU possessed a 33-28 lead.

Not long into the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes would push their lead even more.

The J.K. Dobbins Show picked up in the game’s final act, with him transporting the rock for carries of nine and 10 yards. All of this culminated with Haskins keeping the ball himself for a 5-yard score. With 12:30 left in regulation, OSU held a 40-28 advantage.

With that, OSU had tamed the Horned Frogs.

The Tulane Green Wave are up next for Ohio State. That game will take place next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, with Big Ten Network broadcasting the contest.

Continue reading...

Here’s why J.K. Dobbins is poised for a huge game on Saturday
Mark Prine via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



J.K. Dobbins is averaging 73.5 rushing yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry in Ohio State’s first two weeks; which is decent by most tailback’s standards. However, considering that Dobbins ran for 100.2 yards per game and 7.2 yards per carry last season, it is evident that he has not yet reached his potential with respect to statistical production. On the other hand, Mike Weber is averaging 7.2 yards per carry to this point in the season. Weber is also on pace to rush for over 1300 yards this season, which would be his best year yet for the Buckeyes.

Obviously, these statistics for Dobbins have to be taken with a grain of salt due to the fact that he has not played more than three quarters in either of OSU’s first two contests. Not to mention, he is splitting carries with another running back who is also one of the three best backs in the Big Ten. Hence, Dobbins has not regressed as a player. He has just lacked the opportunity to have the explosive performance that fans are used to seeing from him. That trend can’t last forever and I suspect it won’t last past Saturday night in Dallas. Buckeye fans should expect Dobbins to have his first big game of the season on Saturday against a pretty good TCU defense. The Horned frogs have put an emphasis on pass defense to this point in the season, which has paid dividends for them. They have the 6th best total defense and the 8th best passing defense so far this season. On the other hand, their rushing defense is ranked 36th best in the nation; not terrible but not elite either. Simply put, Ohio State’s 2nd ranked scoring offense and 12th ranked rushing offense, in a climate controlled dome, could prove to be overwhelming for TCU. The run blocking ability of Ohio State’s offensive line and wide receivers will be an astronomical advantage when it comes to the Buckeyes imposing their will on TCU by controlling the line of scrimmage; and as Buckeye fans have all heard Coach Urban Meyer say time and time again, the game is won or lost at the line of scrimmage.

Lastly, this week will be Ohio State’s first true test season of the season. Which means ultimately the load will be a little heavier, for clock management purposes, for OSU’s tailbacks. Hence, barring a blow out in the first half, expect Ohio State’s starters to stay in the game a little longer this week; meaning Dobbins will rack up more carries, yards, touchdowns, and his first breakout game of the year; while doing it all at home, in Texas.




Continue reading...

A scientific analysis: buckeyes vs. horned frogs
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Sorry TCU fans, can’t argue with science.

You know what? We’ve gotten spoiled during the first two weeks of the season, as the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes have started their games at noon and 3:30 p.m. ET. However, with the first primetime game of the season comes the inevitable anxious boredom that comes with watching horrendous football like Rutgers vs. Kansas and Syracuse vs. Florida State. We are forced to suffer through the slog of nearly unwatchable games just to finally arrive at moment when Buckeye Nation can revel in the greatness that is Ohio State football.

So, since we had extra time to kill today, I decided to take a scientific look at two of the more unusual mascots in college sports; the buckeye and the horned frog. So, with all due respect to Nick Bakay, let’s look at the “Tale of the Tape.”

Appearance


The Ohio buckeye, also known as the American buckeye or the fetid buckeye, is a small rounded nut with a deep chestnut brown shell and a lighter brown circle on the underside. The darker shell has a beautiful, polished sheen that makes it almost reflect the wonder and beauty of the world around it. It is not difficult to imagine a world in which the buckeye, instead of being the symbol of a state, had been chosen as the currency of our new nation. Perhaps had our Founding Fathers decided to base the United States’ economic system on the buckeye standard, rather than the gold standard, our current financial climate would be better for it.

The Texas Horned lizard, colloquially known as the Texas horned frog, has an ugly, blunt, pointed head, and two beady, black eyes on the sides of its face. Its body is covered with small spikes, and the horns on its head are boney extensions of its skull. It’s dirty brown exterior is used as camouflage in the sandy terrain of Texas and the Southwest.

Advantage: OSU

Edibility


In its peanut butter and chocolate form, I contend that there is no better bite-sized confection than the buckeye. However, the delicious candy is not Ohio State’s mascot... unfortunately. Instead, the mascot is a poisonous nut that contains tannic acid. While not likely to be deadly in small doses to humans, still probably not a good idea to consume anything containing actual buckeye nuts as an ingredient.

Technically, the Texas horned frog is not a frog, it is a lizard, so it doesn’t benefit from the delicacy status of actual frogs. In the wild, these lizards have the ability to squirt a stream of blood from their eyes that contains a foul-tasting chemical that confuses and repulses predators. While humans would be eating this cold-blooded animal cooked, I’d rather not risk consuming anything that secretes blood from its eyes.

Advantage: Push

Ferocity


As stated before, a buckeye is a poisonous nut. However, other than that, it is an inanimate object. The only way that it can affect someone is if the individual actively eats the nut or its byproducts. Although, come to think of it, if you are sitting under a buckeye tree, and one of the nuts— in its spiny, fleshy shell— falls, it could be painful if it hits square on the head; think Isaac Newton and the apple. And, as all football fans know, head injuries are especially dangerous.

Though the Texas horned lizard looks fierce, it is extremely docile. In this case, it’s face is more potent than its bite, because it mostly only feeds on small bugs. Therefore it poses little to no threat to humans. Because it is unable to produce vitamin D, the creature spends most of its time sunbathing and eating harvester ants. Ah, the privileged life.

Advantage: OSU

Holiness


For generations, buckeyes have been kept as good luck charms by Ohioans, but superstition doesn’t rise to the level religious fervor. Neither does the fact that I’ve been known to say “From your mouth to Woody (Hayes)’s ears” in situations where I need a little bit of extra blessing.

And while my grandmother did have a buckeye rosary, the tiny nuts were more decorative, and did not technically add to the fundamental Catholic theology of the series of prayers.

However, many Native American peoples consider the horned lizard to be sacred, and it can be found throughout Native American art in the Southwestern United States and Mexico. I figure, we took their land from them, so the least that we can do is respect their religions.

Advantage: TCU

Durability


The Aesculus glabra is primarily native to the Midwest and lower Great Plains, but can be found in southern Ontario, in parts of the Nashville Basin, and in large, but isolated, parts of Mississippi. Therefore, the Ohio buckeye— not to be confused with the 15 other worldwide varieties of buckeyes— has a sprawling reach that covers a large part of the continental United States.

Unfortunately, the Phrynosoma cornutum has been named a protected species following a 30 percent decline in population. This dip is believed to have been due to the rise of certain pesticides in the region, and the nonnative, highly aggressive and territorial red imported fire ants.

Also, while they all look the same, there is believed to be countless subspecies of the lizard throughout Texas. Because of that, it is not known how many of these subspecies are able to survive outside of their natural habitat, or if they are able to reproduce across subspecies longterm, or if the cross-breeding could lead to substantive declines in population.

Advantage: OSU


So there you have it, everybody. This completely unbiased, academic analysis of tonight’s matchup is definitive: buckeyes are better than horned frogs lizards. Therefore, it would behoove you to take Ohio State in tonight’s game.


The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the No. 15 TCU Horned Frogs tonight at 8 p.m. ET from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game will be broadcast on ABC.

Continue reading...

Who you got? LGHL staff predicts the score of Ohio State-TCU
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


This season, the LGHL staff is competing to see who is the best prognosticator!

The good thing about marquee, primetime games is that the team has the chance to impression a nationwide audience of fans, voters, and recruits. The bad thing is that you have to wait all dang day to get to kickoff. Well, today, Buckeye Nation will have to remain patient until 8 p.m. ET for the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes to take on the No. 15 TCU Horned Frogs in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Both teams come into the game 2-0, after easily dispatching their first pair of opponents. Gary Patterson’s squad is still looking for revenge after the Buckeyes jumped the Frogs into the first College Football Playoffs in 2014. However, OSU is feeling very at home at this “neutral” venue, having won the playoffs and last season’s Cotton Bowl in Jerry’s World. Will they make it three in a row? Our writers and editors sure seem to think so.

Over the course of this season, we here at Land-Grant Holy Land are competing to see who the best prognosticator is on staff.

How this is working is that every week our writers and editors will predict what think the final score of the Ohio State game will be. If a forecaster foresees the game’s correct winner, he or she will receive 75 points. If the expert gets the score exactly right, they will receive a bonus 25 points. However, for every point that a prediction is off, one point will be subtracted—with a max total of 25 points getting subtracted. Get it? Got it? Good.

With every new week of predictions, we will update the standings, so that you can follow along and see who the best handicapper on the LGHL staff is. Current standings are below this week’s predictions.

Matt Brown


Ohio State 33, TCU 21
Season Point Total: 110

(He’s THE Matt Brown, he doesn’t need to give an explanation.)

Alexis Chassen


Ohio State 63, TCU 28
Season Point Total: 102

TCU might have a fast offense, but the Buckeyes have the best defensive line in the country. It wouldn’t surprise me if a few of TCU’s skill players get behind the line and end up getting into the end zone, but I don’t think it’s nearly as close of a game as some are expecting. Ohio State has some swagger heading into Week 3, and I have no doubt that Dwayne Haskins and his plethora of receivers will ball-out in Arlington.

Colton Denning


Ohio State 41, TCU 20
Season Point Total: 114

SHAUN WADE PICK SIX

Geoff Hammersley


Ohio State 44, TCU 23
Season Point Total: 105

OSU dominates the line of scrimmage on offense, leading to Dobbins having a big day in Big D. Haskins does more Haskins things, but TCU makes life a little bit trickier than what we’ve seen from the other two opponents this season.

Dan Hassler


Ohio State 38, TCU 20
Season Point Total: 102

I think Ohio State wins this game in the trenches. I see the Buckeyes winning the game up front on both sides of the ball, leading to J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber having solid outings. I think the defense gives up a couple big plays to TCU’s athletic offensive weapons, but Haskins has a solid outing in his first start against a ranked opponent, and leads OSU to victory.

Meredith Hein


Ohio State 34, TCU 21
Season Point Total: 124

TCU’s defense is the toughest Ohio State has faced all year, but Haskins and company will spread the field and overmatch the Horned Frogs by the second half. However, Shawn Robinson will score points for Gary Patterson’s squad, and expect a special teams TD for the other side.

Caleb Houser


Ohio State 31, TCU 17
Season Point Total: 117

Ohio State is able to run the ball well against TCU due to a size advantage in the trenches. Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins both score TDs and tally up 185 yards of combined rushing.

Dwayne Haskins throws for 200 yards and two TDs--one to Johnnie Dixon and the other to Terry McClaurin, to give the offense another very balanced attack.

The defense gives up a pair of rushing TDs— including one to QB Shawn Robinson— but holds strong for the most part. Nick Bosa and Chase Young each tally one sack and dominate their side of the ball.

Each team hits a FG, but in the end Ohio State prevails and proves they’re a top-4 playoff type contender.

Max Littman


Ohio State 52, TCU 35
Season Point Total: 67

The Ohio State offense and play calling under Ryan Day is looking so incredibly high-powered that I doubt anyone in the country can stop it. TCU can and will put up points, especially on an untested OSU secondary, but Jerry’s World is as close to a home-away-from-home that OSU can have and I will be there watching the Bucks win live and in person!

Brett Ludwiczak


Ohio State 38, TCU 17
Season Point Total: 115

The player who I think could make the biggest impact in this game is J.K. Dobbins, who is returning to his home state for the second time as a Buckeye. The sophomore fares a lot better than he did in the Cotton Bowl against USC, where he rushed for just 39 yards on 13 carries. Ohio State erases any doubt in the middle of the second half and go up by two touchdowns and don’t look back.

Patrick Mayhorn


Ohio State 49, TCU 28
Season Point Total: 111

TCU’s defense keeps the game close through three quarters despite good performances by Dwayne Haskins and J.K. Dobbins. Up by a touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter, Ohio State finally takes over, scoring on two big plays and shutting down the TCU offense on the way to a 49-28 victory, though the score doesn’t reflect how close most of the game will actually be.

Chad Peltier


Ohio State 42, TCU 24
Season Point Total: 50

Matt Tamanini


Ohio State 41, TCU 24
Season Point Total: 107

There is no doubt that No. 15 TCU is going to present challenges to Ohio State on both offense and defense that they haven’t yet seen this season— outside of intra-squad scrimmages, of course. Horned Frogs QB Shawn Robinson will use his feet to extend drives, and he will quickly get rid of the ball to his arsenal of weapons in order to put pressure on the inexperienced linebackers in open space. However, ultimately, the suffocating defensive line will keep them at bay more often than not, and Dwayne Haskins will use this game to officially put himself at the top of the Heisman Trophy conversation.

Dan Vest


Ohio State 34, TCU 20
Season Point Total: 114

TCU will get its punches in and may even lead early, but in the end, the team with the better players will pull away, and Ohio State will win relatively comfortably.


Ok, after two weeks, let’s take a look as to how are staff’s picks are looking.


So, to recap our oddly overly complicated scoring system:

Correct Winner Prediction: 75 points
Perfect Prediction Bonus: 25 points
Point Total Deductions: Subtract 1 point for every point off total score (cap 25 points)

Continue reading...

Lee Corso made his pick for Ohio State and TCU on ESPN ‘College GameDay’
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Brutus or SuperFrog?

On Saturday morning, ESPN’s “College GameDay” visited the campus of TCU in advance of the No. 15 Horned Frogs game against the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes, and with a visit from “GameDay” comes a Lee Corso headgear pick.

In the 22 years that Coach Corso has been donning helmets, mascot heads, and costumes to signal his pick of the week’s biggest game, he has picked 38 Ohio State games, and has a record of 23-15 in them. The former Indiana head coach has gone with the Buckeyes 26 of those times, and in those games that the Sunshine Scooter donned a Brutus head or Buckeye helmet, he is 18-8.

Well, here’s hoping that he ends the day 19-8, as in front of the TCU crowd, Corso put on the famed Brutus head, yet again!

ESPN “College GameDay”

In addition to Corso, Desmond Howard picked OSU, WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns went with the home Horned Frogs. Ohio State alum Kirk Herbstreit will be calling the game, so he didn’t make an official pick.

The Buckeyes and Horned Frogs will face off 18 miles from campus at AT&T Stadium at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ABC.

Continue reading...

Ohio State vs. TCU isn’t the only exciting game on today’s college football schedule
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Let’s be honest, today is all about Rutgers vs. Kansas!

Oh, things are getting serious today! Yes, the Buckeyes are finally playing an opponent with a pulse; yes, the Tiger Bowl is happening down on The Plains; yes the week’s most entertaining game might be Boise State at Oklahoma State, but honestly, who cares?

It is the day that we have all been waiting for. It is like the college football equivalent of Christmas, or Tax Day, or a four-hour visit to the dentist that includes all four wisdom teeth being pulled and a root canal. It’s Rutgers vs. Kansas Day!


Since the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes don’t kick off until 8 p.m. ET against the No. 15 TCU Horned Frogs, there is plenty of time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the other games for a while. Despite the much-anticipated, long-awaited Scarlet Knights and Jayhawks matchup, the noon window doesn’t bring a ton of excitement to the table. However, there are some early opportunities to scout Ohio State’s upcoming opponents.

At noon on FS1, No. 11 Penn State will host the Kent State. While I wouldn’t expect to see the Flashes put up much of a fight in Happy Valley, it should be a good opportunity to familiarize yourself with the Buckeyes’ next major opponent after TCU. OSU and PSU play in State College, Penn., on Saturday, Sept. 29.

If you’d prefer to flip the TV to a more immediate Buckeye opponent, too bad, because Ohio State’s next foe, the Tulane Green Wave, isn’t playing on television today. Instead, they will be traveling to UAB to play the Blazers at 1 p.m. ET in a game broadcast on the Facebook... what is this world coming to?

However, once you get through the dregs of the opening timeslot, things get exciting, because at 3:30 p.m. ET, you’ve got a pair of ranked-vs.-ranked matchups, and two Big Ten contenders hosting teams looking to rebound coming off of losses.


On CBS, we’ve got the Battle of the Tigers as Joe Burrow and the No. 12 LSU Tigers head over to Jordan-Hare Stadium to face the No. 7 Auburn Tigers in a major SEC West matchup. Then, we’ve got the aforementioned most exciting game of the day (non-OSU vs. TCU edition, obviously), as No. 17 Boise State travels to Stillwater, Okla., to take on mulletless Mike Gundy’s No. 24 Oklahoma State Cowboys.

A little closer to home, No. 6 Wisconsin hosts BYU, and No. 19 Michigan hosts SMU.

As we get closer to the Buckeyes’ gametime, at 7 p.m. ET over on ESPN, the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will look to knockoff Ole miss in Oxford, Miss. The Rebels are inexplicably 2-2 vs. the Tide since 2014, but I can’t imagine a scenario in which ‘Bama doesn’t win this one by at least three touchdowns.

Kicking off at the same time as the Buckeyes, just three hours south on I-35 in Austin, will be No. 22 USC and Texas. These two storied programs have quite the history against each other. Neither has looked especially impressive so far this season, but it could be a statement game for either program, if they end up winning comfortably.

We’ve also got some other fun, ranked Pac-12 After Dark options as the No. 10 Washington Huskies visit the Utah Utes, and the No. 23 Fighting Herm Edwardses, a.k.a. the Arizona State Sun Devils, will go on the road to Herm’s alma mater, San Diego State. I don’t expect upsets in either game, but you never know what types of craziness will happen when the sun goes down out west.

Continue reading...

Ohio State vs. TCU 2018: Start time, live stream, TV schedule and GameThread
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes face the Horned Frogs at a “neutral site” in their toughest test of the young season.

The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes owned their first two games of the season against Oregon State and Rutgers. Now, the Buckeyes head to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for a rare neutral site game against the No. 15 TCU Horned Frogs, even though the game will be played less than 18.5 miles from TCU’s campus. It will be Ryan Day’s final game as interim head coach for Ohio State, and he’ll be facing Gary Patterson, the second-longest tenured head coach in the FBS.

The two teams have not squared off since 1973, when Woody Hayes’ Ohio State squad crushed Billy Tohill’s Horned Frogs 37-3. The teams have only played six times in program history, with Ohio State holding a 4-1-1 record over TCU. This time, Ohio State is a 13-point favorite over the Horned Frogs, who finished second in the Big 12 last season behind Oklahoma.

Sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins has proven to be far more than just adequate through two games this season, racking up more than 500 yards passing, and throwing for nine touchdowns, despite sitting for nearly all of the second half in both games. Receivers like Johnnie Dixon and Terry McLaurin have been reliable from both short and long range, while Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins have balanced the much-improved passing attack with a consistent and reliable ground game.

TCU enters the game with a 2-0 record, with double-digit wins against Southern and SMU. The Horned Frogs are breaking in sophomore quarterback Shawn Robinson, the first truly dual-threat quarterback the Buckeyes have faced this season. On the other side of the ball, TCU boasts the best defense in the Big 12— one that will likely challenge Haskins and his downfield passing game in particular. The Horned Frogs also bring special teams star KaVontae Turpin, who leads TCU in receiving yards this season, and has already scored a special teams touchdown this season.

The matchup will be the toughest of Ohio State’s young season, and will test Day and company on both sides of the ball. Haskins and the offense in particular will need to step up against the most stout defense they have seen all year.

When is the game and how can I watch?


Game Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 15, 8 p.m.

Location: Arlington, Texas

TV: ABC

Online: WatchESPN

Radio: 97.1 FM/1460 AM

Where is GameDay this weekend?


Despite the game being played 18 miles away, ESPN’s “College GameDay” is broadcasting live from TCU’s campus ahead of the Horned Frogs’ matchup with Ohio State. This visit marks the third time that “GameDay” has visited TCU.

WWE Universal Champion— and former Georgia Tech All-ACC defensive end Roman Reigns (Joe Anoaʻi) was announced to be the guest picker for the day. Importantly, Lee Corso, currently sitting at 2-0 on the year, is 18-8 all-time when picking Brutus Buckeye in his headgear selection.

What’s the rest of the Big Ten up to today?


Most of the Big Ten is in the final week of non-conference play today, beginning with a quintet of noon matchups. Kicking things off, No. 11 Penn State hosts Kent State on FS1 and Rutgers travels to Kansas. On BTN, Indiana faces Ball State, Nebraska plays Troy, and Maryland hosts Temple.

At 3:30 p.m., No. 6 Wisconsin gets BYU at home on ABC. In the same time slot, No. 19 Michigan plays 0-2 SMU, Miami (OH) travels to Minnesota, and Illinois plays South Florida at Soldier Field, all on BTN.

At 7:30 p.m. Missouri travels to Purdue, Northwestern battles Akron, and Iowa faces Northern Iowa, also on BTN.


Join the conversation! Below is your Ohio State-TCU GameThread. Be respectful, be kind and as always, keep it classy. If you like GIFs, lay ‘em on us. In all, be good fans, cheer for your teams, be cool to each other (even if somebody else isn’t) and everyone wins. Let’s get the Big Ten season going strong. Go Bucks.

Continue reading...

IT’S FINALLY OHIO STATE GAMEDAY!!!! BRING ON THE HORNED FROGS!
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes first primetime game of the season is here. Let’s get you ready for the game with all the content from the past week.

Once again, we made it to Saturday. This time, though, the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes are playing a little bit later in the day. The first week was a noon kickoff, then last week was a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff. Now, it’s a primetime kick, as the Bucks get the No. 15 TCU Horned Frogs in a national televised 8 p.m. ET game—which brings ABC’s Game of the Week broadcast crew of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Maria Taylor.

Over the past week, our talented group of writers have put together preview pieces, analytical breakdowns, and everything in-between.

If you missed out on any of the stories, we have you covered. Below, each type of story is categorized. If you’re looking for podcasts and previews we’ve done, you can find them; if you’re looking for the betting lines and deep dives, they are there, too.

Enjoy it everybody, we’ve finally made it gameday!

Podcasts


Dwayne Haskins makes first big start at OSU

What the Buckeyes can use for motivation against TCU

Betting Lines


Week 3 Big Ten Games

Week 3 National Games

Previews


Ohio State releases depth chart for TCU

Game Preview

TCU offensive player to watch: Quarterback Shawn Robinson

TCU defensive player to watch: Linebacker Arico Evans

Q&A with the TCU SB Nation blog, Frogs O’ War

Colton Denning’s I Got 5

Deep Dives


Haskins is ready for TCU

Recaps


Ryan Day’s TCU presser notes

5 takeaways from Day’s press conference ahead of TCU

News


ESPN’s College Gameday will be in Fort Worth for Ohio State-TCU

Shawn Robinson will force OSU LBs to step up their game

Ohio State target will be at the game on Saturday

Texas born Buckeyes look to put on a show against the Horned Frogs

Haskins’ Heisman odds take small dip; Ohio State title odds stay the same (Tuesday)

Continue reading...

Showdown In Texas: Ohio State vs TCU
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



It is the last week of Coach Meyer’s suspension and the first big test for the Buckeyes is upon us. It is TCU week and there is a lot of excitement from both fan bases, and what better venue than at the AT&T Stadium–the home of the Dallas Cowboys? This is essentially a home game for TCU, but the Buckeye faithful will find a way to paint the stands in scarlet and gray.

For the Buckeyes, we have seen two dominant performances against mediocre teams and the positive momentum that they have gained cannot be ignored. This Buckeye team is talented and they are arguably one of the most talented teams in the nation and they are also one of the deepest teams at just about every position. They will need to bring their “A” game in order to stop this TCU team, who will be their toughest opponent after two weeks worth of dominating performances. Coach Meyer’s input coupled with Coach Day’s playcalling will be key for the Buckeyes to leave Texas with a win–and possibly a resounding victory.

For TCU, they also faced a pair of mediocre opponents and looked sluggish in the beginning before pulling away. They cannot do that against this Buckeye team due to the explosiveness of Haskins and his wide receiver core. They also cannot afford to lose the battle in the trenches against another collection of talented rushmen led by Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Dre’Mont Jones, and Robert Landers because it is going to be a long day for TCU.

Shawn Robinson provides a unique problem that could threaten this vaunted Buckeye defense and it could spell trouble for them with his ability to run and pass. This will be the first dual-threat quarterback in this years docket and it will be their biggest test before diving into the meat of the rest of their BIG 10 schedule. Another funny part about this is that the Buckeyes heavily recruited Robinson, but he chose TCU instead and the Buckeyes ended up with the Gatorade Player of the Year in Tate Martell.

A lot has been said on the message boards on TCU’s end and they claim that the speed from within their program would essentially give the Buckeyes fits for the entirety of the game this weekend. I get it and in practice, you can be faster than your teammates, but be careful what you wish for because the land of make-believe will come crashing down on you once you witness the caliber of athletes on Ohio States roster. Year in and year out, they constantly reload and bring more speed on top of what they already have on the roster. From the offensive side to the defensive side, they are fast at all levels, and they could be shellshocked once the ball gets housed and the difference in overall speed is evident.

Matchups To Watch:

• Haskins vs TCU Defense: This will be his measuring stick and with the increase in overall talent and team speed, this could be interesting. Will Haskins have another dominant offensive performance against one of the best defensive units? Or will he make mistakes and falter?
• The War in the Trenches: You have to win in the trenches before speaking and with another talented group on both sides of the ball, this will be another matchup to watch. Bosa and friends against the best offensive line that they will face during Coach Meyer’s final game of his suspension. On the offensive side, will their line matchup and dominate against a scrappy TCU defense that ranked in the top 15 a season ago? Or will they struggle?
• TCU WR’s vs Ohio State Back Seven: With the proclaimed speed of Turpin and friends, it is essential that the back seven of the Ohio State defense plays disciplined and focused football and that they trust their instincts and their keys against TCU. Against an inferior Oregon State team and their backup QB they put up 31 points due to miscommunication and inexperience and it is encouraging for this group. If Fuller and pals can matchup and stick with the gameplan, they can shut down this offense with ease, but with the inexperience and the youth of the LB core, we will have to play it by ear.
• Zone 6/Tote Nation vs TCU Defense: It will be interesting to see this matchup! With a handful of receiving threats and a pair of 1,000-yard rushers, there aren’t enough footballs to give to everyone, so they need to make their time on the field count. TCU has had one of the better defenses in recent years, but will they or do they have enough to stop this talented offense?
• Texans Return: With a few former Texans on Ohio State’s roster still on the team, how would they perform in front of their family and friends that they left behind? Will the lights be too bright as they no-show? Or will they dominate and show TCU what they missed out on? J.K. Dobbins, Baron Browning, Demetrius Knox, Kendall Sheffield, and Jeffrey Okudah will return to Jerry’s World and face a team that wanted them on their team.
• Special Teams: Jekyll or Hyde: It is no secret that the Ohio State has struggled with the Special Teams units over the years and this year is no different. With a rotation of returners, there comes growing pains and miscues. Fumbles have been an issue and with an offense that can make you pay. On TCU’s side is Turpin, a potent return man who can swing momentum if given the opportunity to do damage. What this matchup in particular because it could determine the game.

Prediction: With everything considered I am predicting another 50+ point game for the Buckeyes in a near shootout with TCU. It will be close in the first quarter with both teams providing the fireworks. In a statement game and Haskins’ coming out party against a Top-15 team, he will throw for 200+ yards and at least 4 TD’s. The Running Back duo will carve up the defense with Dobbins showing out in his home state of Texas, but Weber will match him with a score as well.

Haskins: 235 yards and 3 TD’s

Dobbins/Weber: 155 yards and 2 TD’s

Buckeyes Defense: 3 sacks, 1 int, 2 forced fumbles, 1 TD

Final: 56-24, Buckeyes defeats TCU




Continue reading...

Texas born Buckeyes look to put on a show in their home state
Patrick Mayhorn via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


It could be a big day for JK Dobbins, Baron Browning, Jeffrey Okudah, and Demetrius Knox

“Dobbins is used to putting on a show in Texas. He hopes to do so again when No. 4 Ohio State plays No. 15 TCU on Saturday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. That’s a big stage, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. This will be the second time Dobbins has played there in about nine months.”


- Bill Landis, Cleveland.com

This Ohio State roster is infused with more talent from the Lone Star State than ever before. The official roster lists seven(!) Texas products, and while two of them (Matthew Baldwin and Ellijah Gardiner) aren’t expected to play much, the other five will be key in Ohio State’s matchup with TCU tomorrow. Those five, of course, are Jeffrey Okudah, Kendall Sheffield, Demetrius Knox, Baron Browning, and the topic of Bill’s excellent article: JK Dobbins.

It’s been a bit of a slow start for Dobbins, as he hasn’t topped the hundred yard mark yet this season, but Ohio State really hasn’t needed him to. He will be needed quite a bit as the Buckeyes take on the Horned Frogs and their excellent defense, and if Dobbins (and Mike Weber) can get going early, it would be a huge boost for the Buckeye offense.

“Browning’s father, Barry Sr., played defensive back for TCU in the late 1990s, including one season under then-assistant Gary Patterson. And Browning is close friends with TCU quarterback Shawn Robinson.”


- Drew Davison, Star-Telegram

While Ohio State’s offense against TCU’s defense is probably the most interesting matchup in Saturday’s game, the most important is probably the inverse. Ohio State’s defense has struggled a bit early on this year, specifically against Oregon State in Week 1, and there are certainly plenty of fair concerns about this unit.

Most of those concerns fall to the linebackers. The linebacker play on this team last year was, let’s face it, dreadful at times, and was a huge part in Ohio State’s losses to both Oklahoma and Iowa. While TCU doesn’t have the tight end play, or the quarterback to exploit the middle of this defense like those teams did, it will still be a huge test for the back seven of this defense.

We know the line is going to be awesome. The bigger question, and what may actually decide the game, is if the linebackers, corners and safeties can keep the TCU passing offense contained. To do that’s they’ll need to be able to shut down the middle of the field, and keep speedy playmakers like KaVontae Turpin contained. That’s way easier said than done.

“Both the men’s and women’s 2018 cross country teams will be back in action this Saturday. The 2018 edition of the Commodore Classic will be held Saturday, Sept. 15 at Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tenn. This will be the 15th annual running of the Commodore Classic. Men will run their first 8k of the season at 10 a.m. E.T. and the Women will run a 5k at 11 a.m. E.T.”


- Ohio State Athletics

It’s a big weekend for the cross country teams, as the men’s team looks to build on their first place finish at last Saturday’s meet in Cookeville, Tenn., while the women’s team looks to jump back into the top 30 nationally after dropping out in the most recent rankings.

This weekend’s meet features some of the nation’s top teams, including the Middle Tennessee State men’s team, which comes in to the meet ranked 19th in the country. Throw in Big Ten foe Illinois and in-state rival Xavier, and you’ve got a recipe for a huge weekend in cross-country, at “one of the most scenic and challenging [courses] in the Southeast”

Buckeyes in the NFL


While the full NFL slate for Week 2 doesn’t kick off for another two days, a few Buckeyes got in on the action in last night’s matchup between the Bengals and the Ravens, as two Buckeye rookies, Billy Price and Sam Hubbard, suited up for Cincinnati.

It was a huge day for Hubbard, as he picked up five tackles, two of which came for a loss, and his first sack of his NFL career. Hubbard has gotten off to an excellent start this season, and is establishing himself as one of the steals of the draft very early in his young career.


The news for Billy Price was significantly less encouraging. While he started the game at center for the Bengals, he suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the game. According to SBNation’s Cincy Jungle, Price should be good to go for the Bengals matchup with the Panthers next Sunday.

This weekend in Buckeye sports

ohiostatebuckeyes.com
Stick to sports

• What we learned from Nintendo Direct (hell yeah, Animal Crossing is back).
• Bojack Horseman season five is out now. You can read a review here.
• Volkswagen is discontinuing the “beetle” cars

Continue reading...

Week 3’s Big Ten College Football betting lines are punctuated by Ohio State-TCU
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes and Horned Frogs meet at the best stadium Jerry can buy on Saturday night, in the only matchup between ranked teams involving a Big Ten squad.

Last week ATS: 9-8 (3-2 National, 6-6 B1G)

Season ATS: 17-19 (6-6 National, 11-13 B1G)


Saturday’s action gets started with a number of underdogs, but MC&J’s action gets chalkier as the day moves along. With any luck, our B1G season record will to the plus side of .500 by the time Saturday is over.

B1G games:


Kent State v. No. 11 Penn State (-35) - 12:00 PM EST - FS1

Penn State straight up embarrassed Pitt last week. Trace McSorley threw a touchdown pass for the 30th straight game, as the Nittany Lions hung 51 on their most hated rival. Now Penn State meets Kent State for the sixth time, outscoring the Golden Flashes 144-29 in their previous five meetings.

This will be the second Big Ten team that Kent State plays this year, losing to Illinois 31-14 in their season opener. Auburn transfer Woody Barrett has been serviceable at quarterback so far, as Kent State transitions to a more up-tempo offense.

Penn State will win comfortably, but Kent State won’t let this game get too far out of hand. The Nittany Lions have a bit of a shorter week coming up, having to hit the road to play Illinois on Friday night. The Golden Flashes find a couple of touchdowns against a Penn State defense that got torched by Appalachian State just a few weeks ago.

Penn State 45, Kent State 14


Troy v. Nebraska (-11) - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network

Oh, hello Adrian Martinez. The first true freshman to start an opener for Nebraska put together a tremendous debut, passing for 187 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 117 yards and two touchdowns before leaving with an injury. Running back Greg Bell joined Martinez in hitting the 100 yard mark on the ground, but the Cornhuskers lost their first game in school history when they’ve had two players rush for over 100 yards.

Nebraska head coach Scott Frost has said that they likely won’t know if Martinez can go on Saturday until pregame warmups.

However, Troy got destroyed by Boise State to open the season, but I think the Trojans are better than that performance. Nebraska avoids their first 0-2 start since 1957, but Troy at least makes Frost sweat a bit in his second attempt to get his first win as head coach at his alma mater.

Nebraska 31, Troy 23


Ball State v. Indiana (-14.5) - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network

It feels like Indiana has to be the worst 2-0 team out there. The Hoosiers did at least find themselves a bowling ball of a running back in freshman Stevie Scott who rushed for 204 yards in the 20-16 win over Virginia last Saturday.

Ball State gave Notre Dame a pretty good test last week, and the Cardinals have Indiana’s number, beating the Hoosiers three times in four meetings since 2008. Ball State will show last week’s performance was no fluke, as the Cardinals take the Hoosiers down to the wire.

Indiana 33, Ball State 30


Temple v. Maryland (-17) - 12:00 PM EST - Big Ten Network

In last week’s game, Maryland had a first half hangover coming off of their win over Texas to start the season. Against Bowling Green, the Terrapins trailed 14-10 after 30 minutes. Then, Maryland reeled off 35 unanswered points in the second half to ruin any hopes I had of the Falcons covering.

Temple is pretty gross right now. The Owls are 0-2, losing to Villanova and Buffalo to start the season. Ty Johnson has a big game on the ground for Maryland, as the Terrapins head into Big Ten play with a 3-0 record.

Maryland 42, Temple 17


Rutgers v. Kansas (-2.5) - 12:00 PM EST - You can only watch this game if you have the true degenerate sports package

Eat at Arby’s

Kansas 23, Rutgers 16


BYU v. No. 6 Wisconsin (-22.5) - 3:30 PM EST - ABC

Wisconsin apparently didn’t set their alarms for last week’s game against New Mexico. Had the Badgers had their act together in the first half, they would have had no trouble covering last week’s spread against the Lobos. Instead the Badgers missed out on covering by less than a touchdown.

I don’t know what to think about BYU right now. They hit the road to open the season and beat Arizona, but then fell at home to Cal last week. Arizona might not be as good as we thought they’d be this year, and the Cougars could be headed for a second straight losing season.

Originally, I was thinking this might be too many points for Wisconsin to be laying against the Cougars, but a couple things keep sticking out to me. Last year, the Badgers went into Provo and decimated BYU 40-6. Also, Wisconsin will be getting back wide receiver Danny Davis from suspension. Not like they’ll need him much though with how Jonathan Taylor has been running the football.

Wisconsin heads into next week’s showdown with Iowa in Iowa City on a high note with an impressive victory over BYU.

Wisconsin 37, BYU 13


SMU v. No 19 Michigan (-36) - 3:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network

We all know that Michigan is going to win this game, so we might as well hope they stomp a mudhole in Craig James’ alma mater. The Wolverines need to do it to honor... well, you know where I’m going with this.

Last week the Wolverines dominated Western Michigan from start to finish, and the Mustangs are likely to get the same treatment this week. Those 36 points are a lot to lay against any team, but SMU has nothing to offer on offense. I’d be surprised if the Mustangs even make it to double digits.

Michigan 51, SMU 7


South Florida (-10.5) v. Illinois - 3:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network

Useless info time: Illinois is playing this game at Soldier Field, where Lovie Smith used to coach the Chicago Bears, against South Florida, who shares a stadium with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who Lovie Smith also used to coach.

Really the only other thing I know about the Fighting Illini is wide receiver Mike Dudek injured his knee and is lost for the year for what feels like the 46th straight season.

Apparently the 13th transfer is a charm for South Florida quarterback Blake Barnett. After starting at Alabama and transferring to Arizona State, Barnett seems to have found a home as Charlie Strong’s quarterback. So far this year, Barnett has eight total touchdowns.

Illinois doesn’t have the offense to keep up with South Florida. The Fighting Illini may hang around a bit early on, but Barnett and company pull away in the second half.

South Florida 44, Illinois 24


Miami (OH) v. Minnesota (-13) - 3:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network

As if this season wasn’t going to be tough enough, Minnesota lost running back Rodney Smith for the season last week. Freshman Zack Annexstad has been pretty good so far at quarterback, but he is going to need some help if the Golden Gophers have designs on going bowling this year.

Minnesota got quite a scare from Fresno State last week before cornerback Antoine Winfield Jr. saved the Golden Gophers with an incredible interception in the end zone to thwart the upset attempt of the Bulldogs.

Even with the injuries and inexperience that Minnesota is dealing with, they are still a couple tiers above the Redhawks. The Golden Gophers use a strong defense to set their offense up in some favorable positions, which allows Minnesota’s offense to gain some confidence with a few easy scores.

Minnesota 34, Miami (OH) 14


Missouri (-6.5) v. Purdue - 7:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network

Purdue, oh no baby! What is you doin’??? The Boilermakers just lost to Eastern Michigan, and now are 0-2 on the season. It figures that once Purdue cultivates a bit of a running attack to compliment their passing game, their defense is non-existent. Purdue is allowing over 400 yards per game so far this year.

Those numbers aren’t going to get any better this week against a dangerous Missouri attack. The Tigers have continued the roll that they finished the 2017 regular season on, running their streak of 40-point games to eight straight. Their quarterback Drew Lock has already thrown for eight touchdowns this year.

I keep trying to talk myself into Purdue in this spot, but I can’t pull the trigger. The Boilermakers are reeling, and now they’ll be taking on the wrong team to meet up with when your defense is struggling. Missouri gets some revenge for the 35-3 beatdown Purdue handed them last year.

Missouri 48, Purdue 34


Akron v. Northwestern (-21) - 7:30 PM EST - Big Ten Network

After starting the season on a high note, Northwestern crashed back to earth last weekend against Duke. The Wildcats moved the football, but weren’t able to put points on the board in the loss to the Blue Devils.

After their season opener against Nebraska was cancelled, Akron beat up on Morgan State last week. The Zips won’t have anywhere near as much success this week against a Northwestern team that will come into this game angry after last week’s loss. Quarterback Clayton Thorson looks better this week, while running back Jeremy Larkin continues his strong start to the season.

Northwestern 42, Akron 10


No. 4 Ohio State (-13) v. No. 15 TCU - 8:00 PM EST - ABC

Saturday night’s primetime showdown at JerryWorld will be the first true test for these ranked teams. The Ohio State offense has looked like a well-oiled machine, while the defense has been stout, aside from a few plays against Oregon State. With Urban Meyer fully returning from suspension next week, this will be Ryan Day’s final game as acting head coach.

Early on last week against SMU, TCU looked like they might be looking ahead to the Buckeyes. The Horned Frogs righted the ship and pulled away to a 42-12 victory over the Mustangs. Dual-threat quarterback Shawn Robinson has looked good so far for TCU, accounting for seven touchdowns this year.

It’s hard not to respect what Gary Patterson has done with TCU. Patterson has amassed a 162-57 record in Forth Worth, and has led the Horned Frogs to at least 11 wins in three of the last four seasons. The Horned Frogs have what it takes to challenge Oklahoma this year for the Big 12 title.

This spot is a little too big for TCU, though. The Horned Frogs may come out with some fire, but Ohio State just has too much speed and talent for TCU to sustain the early spark. Nick Bosa and the rest of the defense are going to give Robinson his first true test as a college quarterback. The test will end in pain.

Normally hitting the road for a sophomore quarterback making just his third career start would be a bit of a concern, but Dwayne Haskins isn’t your normal sophomore quarterback making just his third career start. Haskins has shown he is ice cold under pressure, as evidenced by how he stepped in for an injured J.T. Barrett last year against Michigan.

It doesn’t hurt Haskins’ confidence that he has a plethora of weapons on offense, either. The Buckeyes have five wide receivers who have at least 80 yards receiving this year, with Terry McLaurin leading the way with 172 on just five catches, three of those going for touchdowns.

The player who I think could make the biggest impact in this game is J.K. Dobbins, who is returning to his home state for the second time as a Buckeye. The sophomore fares a lot better than he did in the Cotton Bowl against USC, where he rushed for just 39 yards on 13 carries. Ohio State erases any doubt in the middle of the second half and go up by two touchdowns and don’t look back.

Ohio State 38, TCU 17

Continue reading...

Podcast: Dwayne Haskins makes his first big start at Ohio State
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


How will he handle the pressure? (Probably pretty well)

Colton and Patrick are back with another edition of the Hangout in the Holy Land, previewing Ohio State’s game with TCU. The guys discuss what the Horned Frogs’ best path to victory is, how they might attack the Buckeyes on both sides of the ball, and more.

Show Notes


1:00- Colton and Patrick flame an old listener for a review that hasn’t aged well.

4:16- Why it’s hard to judge TCU’s sloppy play against SMU last week.

6:15- What’s the most realistic path for TCU to win?

8:09- The Horned Frogs not matching up with The Rushmen, and how they’ll probably attack the edges if they want to have offensive success.

12:17- Wanting to see more of Justin Hilliard, and expecting Ohio State’s use of five defensive backs on the field at once to be extensive.

16:30- Dwayne Haskins making the first big start of his career, and the new-look interior offensive linemen being in for a big test.

21:30- Why J.K. Dobbins is better suited to have a big day against this defense than Mike Weber.

24:20- Expecting more consistent downfield shots because of the way TCU’s defense plays in the short passing game.

28:40- Patrick capes for Tate Martell as the starting punt returner, and invents the speed option punt return.

30:10- Questioning how Pat Fitzgerald smells.

31:20- Predictions for the game.

34:10- Taking a tour around the rest of week three’s action, including why everyone wins in Texas-USC (Except Texas and USC).

Continue reading...

I Got Five on it: I’m afraid this Dwayne Haskins is quite operational
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Michigan Stadium is Alderaan, obviously.

Welcome to I Got Five on it, the Ohio State game preview column where I’m doubling down on my wrong opinion that no one but Demario McCall should be allowed to return punts for Ohio State the rest of the season.

With the Oregon State and Rutgers games mercifully behind us, it’s time for the first true test of the season, as the No. 4 Buckeyes take on No. 15 TCU in Arlington. It’s the ABC night game, and the first time that the schools have played since 1973 (!), and one of the more unique Ohio State non-con matchups in recent memory.

TCU is very TCU this year, as in they aren’t getting a ton of love nationally, but are an upset away from having the biggest win of the season and jumping right into the conversation. It’s hard to know what to take away from their game last week versus SMU— given that it was played after like 30 hours of continuous rainfall in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro— but here are some fun things they did:



Their sloppy play against the Mustangs aside, this game will be an excellent early-season test for Ohio State, and a showcase for Ryan Day’s future abilities as a full-time head coach. With that said, here are the five things I’m watching for tomorrow night:

Take a sip


Did you know that Ohio State played in AT&T Stadium when they beat Oregon to win the first College Football Playoff? If not, I commend you for staying away from literally every article written about this game on the internet all week.

It’s a great memory, and you can count on ESPN having more than a few clips from that game ready to play throughout the broadcast. If you’re looking for a fun drinking game, those references are a good start. But in true I Got Five on It fashion, let’s take it several steps further than it needs to go:

• Take two sips anytime Kirk Herbstreit says Ryan Day/Dwayne Haskins want the offense to “go vertical.”
• One sip every time J.K. Dobbins or Mike Weber get a carry; because handing off to your running backs in a big game is actually a thing you’re allowed to do, amazingly.
• Three sips if the 2014 Virginia Tech game is mentioned.
• Finish your drink if they show a photo of Urban Meyer holding the CFP trophy and use the word “embattled.”
• Two sips when Herbsteit talks about J.T. Barrett’s leadership.
• One sip for every Ohio State tackle for loss; two for every sack. (lowkey the most dangeous item on this list)
• Finish drink if Tate Martell is brought in for a gadget play that goes totally wrong.

(For the record, the official beer of this column is Busch Light.)

7’s big stage


One of my favorite things in college football is the, “Oh shit, he’s a dude™” moment. It’s not a Heisman Moment, but just the first time it really becomes apparent to you that a player is ridiculous. Some of my favorite, “Oh shit, he’s a dude™” moments:

• Reggie Bush vs. UCLA, 2004
• Tyrod Taylor vs. Nebraska, 2009
• Alshon Jeffery vs. Alabama, 2010
• Tyrann Mathieu vs. Oregon, 2011
• Khalil Mack vs. Ohio State, 2013
• Kyle Van Noy vs. Texas, 2013
• Laviska Shenault vs. Nebraska, last week

This game is Dwayne Haskins’ “Oh shit, he’s a dude™” moment for the rest of college football. (You already know he’s one.)

TCU’s defense is a several story escalator ride up from Oregon State and Rutgers’, but I’m all in on Haskins being the type of quarterback talent we’ve never seen in Columbus, and tomorrow’s really his first chance to showcase that on a national stage.

Dobbins gets loose


How quiet has J.K. Dobbins been? Despite only one less rushing attempt than Mike Weber, Dobbins has 70 fewer yards. His explosiveness has been zapped, with only two of carries of ten-plus yards so far, after he put up 38 last year. Expect that to change tomorrow.

Dobbins’ skill-set will pay off against a TCU defense that clogs the middle, and forces teams to get to the edges. Despite Weber’s renewed explosiveness, he’s still much more suited as a North-South runner, and I don’t think that works as well against this defense. Dobbins has more wiggle, can get to the outside, and shake TCU defenders that showed less than ideal tackling ability last week:


* realizes I just said Ohio State shouldn’t run up the middle on TCU then immediately showed a gif of SMU doing it and dude shedding their defensive tackle like a practice dummy *
Shaun Wade will never not start another game at Ohio State


It was merely two weeks ago that I publicly announced in this here column my self-appointment to the Presidency of Shaun Wade Hive:



Wade has followed through on that promise, picking up his first career interception last week, while notching some impressive accolades in the process. In short, he’s been great the first two games. It looks like the coaches have taken notice:



While it’s still — * Stephen A. Smith voice *— completely, and utterly baffling, TO ME, that Wade isn’t just starting at corner, it looks like he’s going to see plenty of action in the nickel, and possibly at safety. TCU uses four-and-five wide sets often, so he’s going to get even more opportunities to make plays. Odds are strong that he makes the most of that playing time, and forces the staff to make him a permanent fixture going forward.

Game management


On our Hangout in the Holy-Land TCU preview, I mentioned that this game reminds me a lot of the 2016 Oklahoma game. While it’s a bit less hyped, I think we’re going to end up with the same result. I’m not the only one confident in a comfortable Ohio State win, but it’s worth noting that a certified coaching legend will be opposite Ryan Day.

Even if Ohio State’s offense cruises, you just know that Gary Patterson is going to break out some exotic looks (Herbstreit™) early that will force Day and the rest of the offensive staff to adjust. In-game adjustments haven’t necessarily been a strong suit in the Meyer-era, but I doubt Day will be as stubborn as Meyer tends to be when it comes to executing the style of play he wants. (Also, having a real wide receivers coach will help.)

The Buckeyes already have a sizable talent advantage, and if they are able to handle the different looks TCU shows early, they shouldn’t have a ton of trouble moving the ball with their usual efficiency, while also sprinkling in a few of the big plays TCU is prone to giving up.


That’s it for this week’s I Got Five on it. Please feel free to add to the drinking game, and come back next week for my 1,000 word column lamenting Urban Meyer taking back the reigns and running Dwayne Haskins 18 times against Tulane.

Continue reading...

Ohio State vs Rutgers Preview
Trevor Arnold via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here





The first week has come and gone, already. We wait 7 months only to have the season blink by it seems. However, we are moving on to the second week of the season where Ohio State will open its Big Ten play with Rutgers.

A successful first week for the Ohio State Buckeyes as we now start the season off 1-0. The Buckeyes put up 77 points in the first game of the Dwayne Haskin era. 70 of the points being offensive, the other would be a Nick Bosa fumble recovery. The Buckeyes didn’t have a top power 5 opponent, but the Oregon State Beavers are a power 5 school. It was the first time since 2016, against Bowling Green, the Buckeyes put up 77 points in a game. The offense looked stellar. They could seriously do no wrong. They had to punt one time, and it was during a drive with Tate Martell at the quarterback position. The Buckeyes had the right game plan, right matchups, and well the better talent.

The defense side also played very well. There is cause for concern at the safety position. However, Jordan Fuller was absent from the game with hamstring issues. Also, Marcus Hooker was suspended for the first game of the season and is expected back. So, the safety concerns may be fixed here in no time. The only other problem was the first two drives in the second half where Oregon State had back to back touchdown runs of 80 and 78 yards, respectively. The game was strange. It was a beautiful day in the first half. There wasn’t really a cloud in the sky. Both teams went to the locker room for halftime, then had to sit there an extra hour and a half due to a crazy rain storm. The start of the second half and the rest of the game was then beautiful outside. Ohio State goes the ball to start, had a quick strike to Terry McLaurin from Haskins for a 75-yard touchdown. Then Oregon State had an 80-yard run. Ohio State had a 10 play drive for a touchdown that only took 2 minutes and 30 seconds off the clock. The Oregon State had a 78-yard run. Four touchdowns in the span of 3 minutes and 54 seconds. I’m going to say the delay had something to do with the big running plays. So with the whole offseason and a new quarterback, this was almost a great of a first game as Ohio State could have hoped for.

Rutgers has the number 1 defense in the country in terms of yardage per game. Seriously. Haha. Okay, I know many of you would never buy that. Rutgers did hold the Texas State Bobcats to 176 yards last game. Held the quarterback to 7/20 for only 79 yards. But this is Texas State we are talking about. They finished 2-10 last year. Rutgers is probably getting better like many, many are hoping for, but I’m not so sure, yet. Sadly, their best cornerback, Blessuan Austin, will not play on Saturday with an ongoing knee injury.

Rutgers offense is still not quite there yet. Artur Sitkowski, the quarterback, threw 20/30, but also threw 3 interceptions, 2 of them being in the red zone. They ran the ball decently for 218 yards. Johnathan Hilliman had two rushing touchdowns on only 15 carries. But, again, that was against Texas State.

Ohio State has played Rutgers now 4 times. In 2014, the Buckeyes won 56-17. In 2015, the Buckeyes won 49-7. In 2016, the Buckeyes won 58-0. In 2017, the Buckeyes won 56-0. I do believe this is the best Rutgers team Chris Ash has had so far. But I also believe this could very well be the best Ohio State team Urban Meyer has had, especially in terms of recruiting. Now the first game of the season we saw almost every play work to perfection. Will that happen here against Rutgers? Probably not. However, Urban Meyer returned to the practice field this week, and that really only can help the Buckeyes get better. I see no reason Ohio State should even come close to losing this game, and since everyone is talking about the defense and how awful they were(they weren’t). We could see a very fired up defense. I am going to predict the score to be 70-6.




Continue reading...

The Other Guys
Mark Prine via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



In just a few short hours, the Buckeyes and the Oregon State Beavers will each kick off their 2018 campaign for a spot in the college football playoff and a national championship. Oregon State won exactly one game last season; so I’m not going to pretend like this game will be some kind of dogfight. Honestly, if it ends up being close, something will have gone terribly wrong for Ohio State. However, I’d like to avoid sounding completely arrogant. So here are two legitimate reasons Oregon State might actually be better than we’re giving them credit for.

Johnathan Smith

In the fall of 2000, walk-on quarterback Johnathan Smith led OSU to an 11-1 record. Eighteen years later, he’s their new Head Coach. He’s young. He’s energetic. He believes firmly that old-fashioned hard work will lead to the eventual success of his football team. I believe firmly that teams, whether it be in the business world, in the home or in college football, will take on the personality of their leader. A prime example of this can be seen in the difference of performance between the 2011 and 2012 Buckeyes after the Meyer regime took over. Smith’s Beavers are no different. Make no mistake, they are not flying all the way to Columbus with intentions of rolling over for Ohio State.

Experience

The only metric where Oregon State could actually be “better” than Buckeyes is it’s extremely experienced roster. The Beavers are returning thirteen of their twenty-two starters from last season. Such an experienced first string will give Oregon State the best opportunity to limit mistakes and avoid beating themselves. It will also give them a better opportunity to make the most of any mistakes that Ohio State’s talented but inexperienced lineup will make along the way. They are a veteran football team who is ticked off after the way last season turned out. There is no doubt in my mind that the Beavers will give Ohio State their absolute best. However, time will show how their best compares to that of The Ohio State University.

Week one of the 2018 season is finally here and it’s packed with an amazing lineup of marquee matchups. Certainly Auburn and Washington’s battle in Atlanta will be the main course. Watching Notre Dame open their season with a win over Michigan will be so very sweet; like dessert, if you will. Which means Ohio State’s warm-up game against the other OSU will be your perfect low-stress appetizer to jumpstart a great weekend of college football. Enjoy.






Continue reading...